Which country will be first to take a gun into space?

Answers

Best Answer: The Almaz program was a highly secretive Soviet military space station program, begun in the early 1960s. Three crewed military reconnaissance stations were launched between 1973 and 1976: Salyut 2, Salyut 3 and Salyut 5. To cover the military nature of the program the three launched Almaz stations were designated as civilian Salyut space stations. Salyut 2 failed shortly after achieving orbit, but Salyut 3 and Salyut 5 both conducted successful manned testing. In addition to reconnaissance equipment, Almaz was equipped with a unique 23mm Rikhter (factory index 261P or 225P) rapid-fire cannon mounted on the forward belly of the station. This revolver cannon was modified from the tail-gun of the Tu-22 bomber and was capable of a theoretical rate of fire of 1800-2000 (up to 2600) rounds per minute. Each 168 gram (ammo 23-OFZ-D-R ) or 173 gram (ammo 23-OFZ-G-R) projectile flew at a speed of 850 m/s relative to the station. The cannon had a supply of 32 rounds and was tested at the end of the mission, when the station was operating in unmanned mode. To aim the cannon, which was on a fixed mounting, the entire station would be turned to face the threat. The Almaz series remain, to this day, the only known armed, crewed military spacecraft ever flown.

It's standard issue on Russian Soyuz capsules. In case they land in a region with bears... Also, the first canon was taken to space (mounted on a Russian Salyut space station) - in case those pesky Americans tried a hostile take over. It was test-fired once... I've read the violence of firing the canon was surprising to the two cosmonauts on board - and, they never took another up.

The Soviets included a small combination pistol on their later Voskhod and Soyuz missions, at the suggestion of Alexei Leonov. They also included a small machete. This practice was eventually abandoned.

This was in response to a Voshkod landing which overshot its intended landing zone and landed instead in a wilderness. The cosmonauts had to wait two nights and they heard wolves in the vicinity. Leonov was on this mission (Voshkod 2) which included the first spacewalk.

PS: Leonov nearly died on his spacewalk, and Ed White, the first American to walk in space, also had a very close call. A couple buddies of mine traveled to Houston from New Jersey just to meet Leonov.